First connection: “a never-ending task”!

When I began thinking about this attempt to track down a WWII unit’s history, I figured there would be WWII enthusiasts out there who could give me some guidance. Well, I shot my first little e-mail arrow out into the cyberspace dark, and I managed to hit an amazing target: Richard Faulkner, who maintains a website devoted to the 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.

The website has a section that helped military-illiterate me better understand some of the basic background and terminology (like a reminder that during WWII there was no Dept. of Defense and no U.S. Air Force; a definition of a squandron; all sorts of stuff).

Rich himself responded right away to my email, and we talked on the phone for about an hour and have exchanged several more emails. I feel a bit of vertigo, like I’m falling down a rabbit hole of military research (not a subject I thought I’d be paying much attention to). Rich called it “a never-ending task.” That sounds like it could be either very fun or very intimidating.

It’s a big puzzle. Full of military acronyms.